Outlet



ch 22, 1938. s. H. WATSON,. JR 2,111,713

OUTLET Fil'ed Jan. 30, 1937 Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED stares OUTLETSamuel H. Watson, J12, Audubon, N. 3., assignor to Radio- Corporation ofAmerica, a corporation of Delaware Application January 30, 1937, SerialNo. 123,033

5 Claims. ((31. 64-4) My invention relates to that class of devices usedfor holding flexible shafts and tubing in place at panel apertures andother outlets.

Although not confined to such use, my invention will be describedasapplied to an automobile radio receiver. In thistype of receiver it iscustomary to mount the cabinet, containing the radio apparatus, on oradjacent the panel separating the engine compartment from the passengercom.- partmentand to provide a remote control mechanism for controllingsaid apparatus upon the steering column or upon the instrument panel ofthe automobile. l i

Where, as is usually the case, a flexible shaft enclosed in a cable isemployed for interconnecting the tuning element with the remotelydisposed controls, difliculties may arise at the point where the controlshaft enters the radio cabinet. Thus, both electrical and mechanicaldifficulties may arise if the aperture in the cabinet through which theflexible control shaft passes is not completely shielded. To effect suchshielding and to provide a support for the flexible shaft and itssheath, the prior art dictates the use of a threaded bushing passingthrough the aperture and maintained in position as by lock-nutscontiguous the inner and outer cabinet walls adjacent the aperture. Suchconnections are usually rigid enough, and, if the bushing panel andsheath are of metal and are electrically continuous, the radio apparatusmay be satisfactorily shielded from electrical disturbances which mightotherwise be transmitted thereto from the shaft or its sheath. Threadedbushings are, however, expensive to manufacture; they require the use oftools for their installation and are otherwise troublesome.

Accordingly, the principal object of my invention is to provide asimple, inexpensive, readily attachable, trouble-free, combined bushing,support, and ground clamp for flexible shafts and cables, and one whichlends itself readily to mass production methods.

Certain details of construction, together with other. objects andadvantages, will be apparent and my invention itself will be bestunderstood by reference to the following description read in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side view partly insection and partly in elevation showing a device constructed inaccordance with my invention to support a flexible shaft and its sheath,the shaft serving to control a tuning condenser housed within a metalcabinet, and

Figure 2 is an exploded view illustrative of a preferred manner ofconstructing the device of my invention. 7

Referring to Fig. l, I El designates a metal panel of a relativelythin-walled cabinet which houses a variable tuning condenser l2.

l2 will be understood to be supported in a suitable manner and has aplurality of rotor plates i l secured to arotor shaft it. The rotorshaft is provided with a worm wheel it which meshes with a complementaryworm gear 29 which is mounted on a bracket 22 on the front plate 2 3 ofthe condenser l2. The axle. 26 of Worm gear 2t has an insulatingcoupling member 23 secured thereto" as by a set screw 30. The'oppositeendof member 28 has a pin 321thereon. which engages the forkedends 34 of a terminal 36 of a flexible drive shaft 38.

The panel Ill has an aperture ll therein through which the flexibleshaft 38 extends. For the purpose of maintaining the flexible shaft 38and the cable or casing 58, within which it is contained inpredetermined relation with the panel l and in alignment with thedriving elements 2623 of condenser l2, I provide a combined bushing,support and ground clamp indicated generally by reference numeral 42.

As shown in both Figs. 1 and 2, the member 42 is of metal and issubstantially funnel-shaped, that is to say, it has an outer narrowcylindrical neck portion M and an expanded hollow shelllike body portiont6 whose rim or mouth 48 is of a diameter substantially greater thanthat of the neck portion M. The walls of the body portion 56 may be inthe shape of a frustrum of a cone or they may be curved in which lattercase they preferably bulge outwardly, as in the embodiment shown in thedrawing. The wide end of the body portion 86 terminates in a rim 68which supports a plurality of resilient tongue members 50 which areadapted to be snap-fitted into resilient engagement with the metal edgeof the aperture l l, as shown in Fig. 1. The fiat surface of rim d8surrounding tongues extends radially outward beyond the wide end of thebody portion 45.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, in order to facilitate the manufactureof member d2, it may be formed in two pieces; thus, the resilienttongues 50 may extend outwardly from an annulus 52 which is adapted tobe seated within the rim 48 and maintained there as by rolling orbeading the rim 48 around it.

In applying the member 42 to the radio device of Fig. 1, the free end ofthe shaft 38 and its sheath or casing 46 is passed through the bodyportion 46 and neck portion Mi and the tongues This condenser 50 arethen force-fitted or snap-fitted into the panel aperture II. When sofitted the flat surface of the rim 48 abuts the front surface of thepanel area immediately the orifice II and lends rigidity to theassembly. The terminal of the shaft casing 40 is seated within thenarrow neck 44 which is crimped or beaded as indicated at 54 (Fig. 1) toprevent its being accidentally withdrawn therefrom and to provide anelectrically continuous connection from the sheath through the bodyportion 46, rim 48 and resilient tongues 50 to the metal panel H],which, as indicated at 56 (Fig. 1) is preferably grounded.

Although but a single embodiment of this invention has herein been shownand described, it will be understood that various changes in the size,shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from thespirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scopeexcept as required by the prior art and the spirit of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a substantiallyfunnel-shape member having an axis of symmetry and a plurality oftongues of resilient material extending outwardly, substantiallyparallel to said axis, from circumferentially spaced areas about themouth of said funnel shape member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a substantiallyfunnel-shape member, a hollow rim surrounding the mouth of said funnel,an annulus seated within said rim, and a plurality of circumferentiallyarranged tongues of resilient material on said annulus and extendingoutwardly beyond the mouth of said funnel.

3. A device of the class described comprising a neck portion adapted toreceive the terminal of a cable enclosing a flexible shaft, a hollowbody portion forming a continuation of said neck portion and terminatingin a rim of a diameter substantially greater than that of said cable,and a plurality of tongues of resilient material extending outwardlyfrom said rim substantially parallel to and out of contact with saidflexible shaft.

4. A device of the class described comprising a neck portion adapted toreceive the terminal of a cable enclosing a flexible shaft, a hollowbody portion forming a continuation of said neck portion and having anopen end of a diameter substantially greater than that of said cable, asubstantially flat-surfaced rim on said body portion surrounding saidopen end, and a plurality of tongues of resilient material extendingoutwardly from said open end substantially parallel to and out ofcontact with said flexible shaft.

5. In combination with a panel having an aperture therein, means forsupporting a cable and fiexible shaft in predetermined relation withsaid panel, said means comprising a metal shell having a neck portionadapted to receive a terminal of said cable, a hollow body portionsurrounding said flexible shaft and terminating in a rim of a diametersubstantially greater than that of said shaft, and a plurality oftongues of resilient material ciroumferentially arranged about said rimand snap-fitted into resilient engagement with the wall of saidaperture.

SAMUEL H. WATSON, JR.

